Can opener



Nov. 7, 1961 I s. ROBERTSON 3,007,601

CAN OPENER Filed May 17, 1960 INVENTOR Snell Robertson BY BM; 241mm, ovfm,@a/Mm# -7 1. ATTORNEYS United States This invention relates to can openers for opening sealed metal cans of the type having a partly severed or weakened metal tear band which is removed by winding the band on a key. The invention is concerned with an opener for cans having a cylindrical head, such as the widely used coffee cans which have flat tops, cylindrical sides and the removable band surrounding the sides just below the top or cover.

The can opener of the invention has a generally flat base portion which is held on the top of the can, and depending guides or centering members which engage the sides to hold the base portion in position, and a depending rotatable band-removing member with an attached handle for turning the band-removing member in opening the can. The band-removing member, preferably includes a shaft which'is mounted in a bearing on the base portion and has an integral handle. The depending shaft has a slot into which the extending tab of the severable band is inserted.

In one form of the invention, the base has three projections, one in which the bearing for the shaft is mounted and two others having depending flanges for engaging the sides or top rim of the can to center the base and maintain the shaft in proper position. In one modification of can opener one of the projections is provided with extension means to adjust the base to cans of different diameters.

.When the base portion is positioned over the top of the can, and the tab is inserted into the slot of the shaft and the handle is turned, the band is torn from the side and wound upon the outside of the shaft. As this winding takes place the base member rotates until the entire band is wound on the shaft. When the opener is removed from the can the coiled band on the shaft can be slipped off and the opener is ready for reuse.

These and other novel features of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion and accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a can opener of the invention as used in opening a can;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top side view illustrating an opening operation;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modification; and

FIG. 6 is a side view with parts in section of FIG. 5.

The can opener illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a base structure 1, preferably formed of a single sheet of metal such as aluminum which has arms 2, 3 and 4 extending from the central portion which has a depression 5. The arms 2 and 3 extend in opposite directions and have depending flanges 6 and 7 which overhang the edges of the can C. The arm preferably extends at right angles from arms 2 and 3, forming a base structure in the general shape of a T. This arm extends beyond the outer edge of the can and has a band-removing member 8 including a bearing 10 permanently secured to the arm as by welding. The handle 11 has a permanently secured shaft 12 mounted in and secured to the bearing. As shown in the drawings, the shaft 12 has a collar 13 secured thereto to hold the shaft in position in the bearing 10. The collar 13 may be a flat washer having a pressed fit Patented Nov. 7, 1961 on the shaft 12 or be welded to the shaft. The collar may be in the form of a nut threaded to the shaft and it may have a convex peripheral surface 14 to engage the chime 15 of the can, and thereby effect a better control of the operation of opening the can.

Advantageously, the shaft may be formed of a hollow member having a'longitudinal slot 16 for the insertion therein of the end tab 17 of the tear band 18. The usual tear band is weakened by parallel crease or score lines and the tab is an integral extending or free end.

Although the cans containing such material as coffee are usually the same size and a can opener as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has general utility in opening these cans, means are provided as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 for adjusting one arm to apply the opener to cans of different diameters. The arm 20 has a longitudinal slot 21 for the set screw 22, the threaded portion of which is preferably permanently secured to the base 1. By means of the nut 23 the arm 20 may be extended or retracted to adapt the opener to the particular can.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the opener is placed on the top of the can C with the depression 5 at the approximate center and serving as a thumb rest. When in the position shown the tab 17, which is the integral free end of the tear band left for removing the band by the usual key, is inserted into the slot 16 and the handle is turned in the direction of the arrow. The action pulls the band 18 from the side of the can and winds it into a coil 24 on the shaft 12. As the winding of the band takes place the base member rotates about the depression 5 until the band is completely removed and is all wound on the shaft. Because the slot extends to the end of the shaft the coil 24 can be slipped off and the can opener is ready for reuse.

I claim:

An improved can opener for opening sealed metal cans 'of the type having a generally flat top and severable tear band having a free integral tab surrounding the upper part of the can and securing the cover of the can to the sides thereof, which comprises a frame structure of rigid sheet metal for engaging the top of the can, said structure having two substantially aligned arms positioned to extend across the top of a can approximately on its diameter when the can opener is in position thereon, said arms having depending flanges at their ends to engage the sides of a can, said frame structure having a third arm extending substantially at right angles to the ther two arms, bearing means on said third arm for mounting therein a rotatable slotted shaft, said shaft hating means for hand rotation and being positioned to depend near the upper side of the can, whereby the end tab of the band may be inserted into the slot to wind the band on the shaft and open the can, said frame structure having a smooth circular depression in its upper surface midway between the ends of said arms, said depression being arcuate in cross section and extending downwardly below the plane of said arms and adapted to bear upon the top of the can and form a thumb rest by which the can opener may be held in position on the can and about which the frame structure rotates during said winding of the band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ,759,364 Quigg May 20, 1930 ,62 ,294 Bodin et al. Jan. 13, 1953 ,634,833 Stiller Apr. 14, 1953 ,799,428 Barker July 16, 1957 09,765 De Fazio Oct. 15, 1957 1 ,6 4 Hobbs Nov. 19, 1957 8, 69 Bletsch Mar. 15, 1960 

